STEM Education
What is STEM Education?
Acronym STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. STEM is an integrated educational program that focuses in these four specific disciplines with an interdisciplinary approach to solve a real world problem.
Problem
Solving
Science
Technology
Mathematics
Engineering
Demographics of STEM
According to the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics, out of the 1.8 million bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2015–16, only about 18 percent were in STEM fields. Furthermore, the percentage of bachelor’s degrees awarded that were in STEM fields greatly varied by gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Nevertheless, minorities are still deeply underrepresented in STEM fields. Over the last decade, the U. S. Department of Commerce has reported an increase in STEM positions by 17%. Between 2018 and 2028, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that STEM jobs will continue to grow by nearly 9%. The demand for a STEM educated workforce is rapidly increasing but the Smithsonian Science Education Center reports that 78% of high school graduates do not yet meet the readiness benchmarks.
Closing the STEM Gap
Better innovative projects can be explored by closing or even reducing the STEM gap. Advanced and effective problem solving approach is developed by incorporating varied ideas and experiences from the diverse groups. Competitive advantage is gained by including various perspectives. In long run it helps to shape a better tomorrow.
STEM Education versus Traditional Science and Math
In Traditional approach, the four disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics are taught completely as a separate and discrete subjects.STEM education is a blended learning environment where scientific knowledge is applied to every day life. STEM integrates them into a cohesive learning with focus on real world applications. It enhances our brains to use our scientific knowledge given in classrooms, then think logically, start computing, and apply these strategies to solve a real world problem.